


Comfort Zone

by LickleSoxy



Category: Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005), Torchwood
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-09
Updated: 2014-10-09
Packaged: 2018-02-20 11:27:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2427023
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LickleSoxy/pseuds/LickleSoxy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The TARDIS has kicked the Doctor out, right onto River's temporary doorstep, and she wants to find out why.</p><p>Set after <i>Day of the Moon</i>, but before <i>A Good Man Goes to War</i>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Comfort Zone

**Author's Note:**

> This is a very old story of mine. It's one of my favourites, that I never got around to finishing. I have decided to rewrite the entire thing, finally finish it, and correct all mistakes that were in it originally. I hope it's enjoyable.

**-o-**

**Comfort Zone**

**Chapter One**

Though the house was quite small, it was fitting enough for the purpose she needed it for. Acting as a temporary location for rest, the brick building only had two bedrooms, both of which were relatively tiny compared to other rooms River had seen in her life. The bathroom had a tub but no shower, though that didn't really concern her. Relaxing in a bath was enjoyable.

Moving back down the stairs after she'd finished her initial check to see if the house was vacant of people, River stepped into the kitchen and took a quick glance around. She smiled. Placing her jacket over the back of the nearest chair, she chose to ignore the rest of the furniture spread throughout the tiled area. Switching her attention to the sink, River turned on the cold tap so water would begin to pour noisily down the plug hole.

Rinsing off the dust and grime that had settled on her fingers when she'd forced open the front door earlier, River swiftly turned the tap back off when the water began running clear from her skin. Scanning the counter tops for a towel to dry her now soaked, freezing fingers, she let out a bored sigh. Deciding to wipe away the moisture using the thick material of her trousers, River knew that getting the clothing wet wasn't a problem. She wouldn't be going anywhere fancy tonight, so being slightly scruffy wasn't too troubling.

Not caring to stop it as yet another sigh escaped her lips, River made her way out of the kitchen and into the lounge. Blinking away the exhaustion she felt - it had been _far_ too long since she'd slept well - and letting her focus move to the narrow sofa tucked away in the corner of the room, River nodded. She gave a silent thanks to the stranger that had decided to abandon the seat when they'd moved away. Strolling over to the cream sofa, she collapsed onto it with a grunt.

Two weeks had gone by already, and she was tired. She was currently stuck in this time line, with no way out or off the planet, and that frustrated the hell out of her.

Although her quest to find a way to another planet had thus far failed, River couldn't deny the fact that, in all honesty, she didn't mind the predicament she was in. This period of time, despite a couple of atrocities, did have its little charms and pleasantries. Complaining would be silly, considering she'd landed in one of the calmer decades of the 21st Century. If it was required of her, she understood that she could happily spend another month or two in this location without _true_ annoyance overcoming her. Inconvenient it would be, but not entirely horrible.

Listening to the muffles of cars as they passed a street or so away, River closed her eyes. The soft rumblings acted as a sort of constant, droning noise, blocking out any thoughts that would try and keep her awake. The night was cool, the air musty but not suffocating, and everything seemed charmingly peaceful. Teetering on the edge of consciousness, River released a satisfied mumble. She was finally going to get the sleep she deserved.

Suddenly, a sharp noise cut through the night air. It was familiar, loud, and a sound that she would _never_ be disappointed to hear.

Lifting herself up gracelessly, thoughts of sleep forgotten, she stumbled a bit as the sound of the TARDIS materialising continued to increase in volume. River attempted to halt the shake in her limbs so she wouldn't fall back onto the sofa in a ridiculous, crumpled heap. When she was confident that she wouldn't drop, River ran out of the lounge and skidded through the kitchen rapidly. Only slowing her momentum to unlatch the lock on the back door, she twisted the handle harshly and pulled the solid wood open. She was about to step out into the cold darkness of the garden, but something made her hesitate in the doorway. A flash of confusion flowed through her instantly, as she caught sight of the blue box and its pilot.

"Let me in!"

His voice was hoarse, the pitch cracking as a note of desperation seeped into the words. Watching with mild astonishment as the Doctor clambered up from his position on the wet grass, River wasn't quite able to contain the swell of fear that filled her heart as he rushed forwards unsteadily to place a hand on the TARDIS's exterior. The second flesh made contact with wood, the Doctor was thrown backwards with a sickening amount of force. River cringed as he hit the floor with an audible thud.

Features paling slightly, River continued to watch on, helpless, as the Doctor pushed himself up yet again. She didn't need to see his face to know that he was intending to haul himself back at the ship, without reluctance, and would do so as many times as his body would allow. A shiver rushed down her spine. Feeling her heart rate quicken as the TARDIS began its dematerialisation process, River couldn't help but feel utterly useless as she stood there doing absolutely nothing. What could she possibly do in this situation? She didn't even know what was going on.

Wincing as a strangled yell met her ears - one that she had never heard before, and hoped never to witness again - River clenched her hands into fists as the TARDIS disappeared from sight. It took several seconds, but she finally managed to kick her legs into gear as she stepped fully into the garden. Running over to the Doctor without much thought, her hand came up to touch his shoulder in an attempt to gain his attention. The Doctor jumped at the unexpected contact, but River ignored it. Normally, she would allow a tease to be stated, but now was not the time. Curling her fingers around his shoulder, River waited.

Something was seriously wrong. From what she could tell, the TARDIS had forcibly shoved the Doctor out its doors; that was not an action to be taken lightly.

Keeping all questions to herself for now, River tightened her grip just a smidgen more. There was no point in moving around to his front, since she had a feeling that the Doctor wanted to compose himself before dealing with anyone. She would want the same opportunity if their roles were reversed, so it was only fair to offer him the same chance.

When he did turn around, River got her next surprise of the night. Gazing into his eyes, noticing it when a flash of recognition swept over them, River felt a wave of concern fill her as she took in the fresh tears streaming down his face. To say that this worried her was an understatement. It took something truly horrific to make the Time Lord actually _cry_.

"River?"

Pushing aside all thoughts of just how _wrong_ this was for the moment, she gave a small nod in confirmation at the confused mutter. Bringing her other hand up, she closed the gap between them and wrapped her arms around him in an embrace. She ignored the relief that flooded her when his arms came up to return the hug. Though it was only a tiny hint to prove he wasn't against her showing affection, it still meant a lot. At least she had confirmation that he was far enough in their time line to be comfortable with physical touch.

That sense of security soon faded, unfortunately, when a chill forced itself through her skin. Unwelcome and uncomfortable, the ice seemed to be coming from the Doctor; even through two different layers of clothing, River could feel how cold he was. Her concern doubled. Eyebrows scrunching up in a frown, River pulled his body even closer to her own, while her hands began rubbing up and down his back in an attempt to warm him up. It wasn't much, but it did stop the tremble in his body.

"What happened?" she asked, no longer able to contain the questions. "What's wrong?" The words came easily, yet she suspected the answers would not be given so freely.

Thinking it over, it didn't really take a whole lot of intelligence to determine that the Doctor had _not_ set the co-ordinates for this location. Why would he? It was a random, insignificant garden that belonged to a desolated house. No, it was the TARDIS that had chosen this time zone, this specific garden... But what did that mean? Yes, the TARDIS was far from an ordinary ship, but could it really act out against its pilot in such a way? Was the magnificent blue box capable of committing an action without direct input from someone?

And, if the TARDIS _could_ do that, _why_ had it? Why had it kicked the Doctor out so viciously? There were too many questions, and River had an inkling that nothing would be explained to her. Contemplating all of the unknowns wasn't beneficial. Biting her lip, River sighed.

"Doctor."

She needed him to at least talk to her, even if he didn't want to; any small sentence would do. Her mind could only make a certain amount of guesses about the situation, before it came up with blanks. She required his input to put the pieces together into a completed puzzle.

Holding back the remark that wanted to leave her when the Doctor offered silence and nothing more, River dropped her arms from around him and pulled away about an inch. Not giving up contact completely, she lifted her hand up and trailed a finger down his cheek. Ignoring it when her skin became wet, River placed her finger under his chin and gently coaxed his head up until she could get a proper look at his face. Realising that his tears weren't as fresh as first assumed, she got the impression that he'd stopped crying the moment he'd figured out he had company.

"Doctor, what is it?"

The atmosphere around them shifted so abruptly, River wasn't sure what happened. After the last word exited her mouth, the _moment_ all sound finished being made, the Doctor's expression transformed into something dark and menacing. Almost immediately his features were marred with a terrifying rage, his eyes narrowing into an unkind hatred as he brought his hands up and shoved River away from him, hard. River stumbled back, almost falling to the floor due to the slippery green under her feet.

Regaining control of her limbs faster than she'd believed was possible, River couldn't quite hide the cry of shock as it pierced the air around them. Her face contorted in fury as confusion and anger replaced all concern she'd previously held towards the ungrateful idiot standing before her.

Her own emotions were building up rather dangerously, and she rounded on the Doctor with balled up fists. Stance unfriendly, her feelings about what he had just done were crystal clear. How _dare_ he push her away when all she was doing was giving him a shoulder to lean on. Who the _hell_ did he think he was?

"Wait!"

Suddenly, River was confronted with the notion that she really had no clue as to what was going on. Halting her advance on the Doctor, her ears picked up on the plea in that simple shout. His hands flew out in a placating gesture, and his expression was twisted in panic as he took a step backwards. It seemed that he had not meant to lash out at her.

All anger she had dissipated immediately. Her earlier worry easily removed any of the unwanted fury from her thoughts. There was something not fitting into place about this entire encounter, but she couldn't pin down what it was. River knew of only a single fact: Things were going to get messy if she didn't get her answers soon. Not being in control and lacking knowledge of the events occurring were things she did not enjoy.

"What's going on?" River punctuated each word with a small step in the Doctor's direction. He stood still, unmoving, allowing the invasion of his personal space. His hands came up to rub his face roughly. Not bothering to lower them before sighing, the Doctor shook his head.

"Sorry."

Whispered, the apology was sincere. Waiting patiently, River watched him, wondering if he would do anything more. After he removed his hands from his face, she was bare witness to the striking idea that he would not have come to her for comfort if he'd been given the choice. Out of everyone he knew, she wouldn't have been the first, second, or even _third_ person he would have wanted to receive affection from. She had been forced upon him, just as he had been forced upon her. That thought, unsurprisingly, hurt quite spectacularly, but River knew that it was not his fault. She didn't know how old he currently was, but she could hazard a guess that he was a lot younger than she was used to.

Did this version of him even trust her yet?

Putting those thoughts aside for now, River decided that it would be best to give up on trying to get answers tonight. The Doctor was pathetically stubborn - his baby face stage, particularly so - and although she had confidence in her ability to get him to squeal when needed, she could tell that he was tired. Any attempts to get him to talk right now would be futile.

Nodding her head in the direction of the house, River said, "Come on. Not quite as comfy as your TARDIS, but it'll do. Could rival any five star hotel."

Revelling in the weak smile her words produced, River slowly turned back towards the house and began edging her way to the open door. Reaching out to place her hand in his, River made no attempt to mask the move as anything other than what it was intended for. She needed to make sure he wasn't going to run off or trying anything funny to get away from her. Though he appeared to be content with her presence, River didn't want to take any chances. She had no idea what was running through his mind; she hadn't a clue as to whether he actually wanted to get some rest or not.

Grabbing his hand and keeping a tight hold of it ensured that he understood just who was in charge in this moment. Conveying how badly she would react if he did try and leave, the little gesture was more significant that it appeared.

Pushing the back door closed when both of them were safely inside, River directed him towards the lounge. The cabinets by the far wall cast dark shadows across the expanse of the room, thanks to the moonlight shining through the window. Tugging the Doctor along gently, she motioned towards the sofa and released his hand. It took no more than a second before the inevitable protest was formed.

"I'm fine. You can-"

"No."

The Doctor glanced at her with a frown.

"But, River-"

"Have you _seen_ yourself?" The interruption was hard and fast, her tone dripping with disbelief. River hadn't meant for those words to come out her mouth, but it was only now that she was paying attention to the rest of him, rather than just his face. And what she could see was _not_ acceptable.

The Doctor wore no jacket, and his shirt had been torn down the one side from shoulder to waist. The single consolation River could gain from this was the fact that the ragged shirt was clean, so he wasn't injured as far as she could tell. His customary bow tie was nowhere to be seen. Looking down, she caught a glimpse of a loose, thick piece of material - all that was left of the braces that helped keep his trousers secure and in place - and moving her gaze further down, she could see that his shoes seemed torn and dirty.

Snapping her attention back up to his face, River pursed her lips as she felt her body sag in an emotion she couldn't quite identify.

"What happened?" she asked, regardless of the knowledge that saying the question aloud was pointless.

The Doctor cringed and lowered his gaze. Surprise filling her, River bit back the gasp that wanted to push out her tight throat. That was a reaction she had not been expecting. The move indicated that he was actually going to give an answer, no matter how short. Swallowing back any remarks she wanted to make about the sudden change of heart he'd apparently had, River tried not to fidget as she waited for him to speak.

"Kids."

River furrowed her brows when he failed to elaborate. "What?"

"They were just kids, River," he mumbled, voice uncharacteristically quiet as he looked at anything in the room but her. "Silly, misguided children who didn't know what they were doing. And I-" Cutting off abruptly, the Doctor licked his lips and closed his eyes.

"And you what?" If she didn't get him to talk now, he might never reveal anything more about the events that had led up to this moment. Even though she dreaded the answer, and had an idea of what was coming, she needed him to say it out loud. He needed to confirm it for himself, as well as for her.

"And I had to stop them." His tone was full of a sadness used only when he really regretted being who he was.

Not bothering to ask him to explain further, River once again found herself encompassing him in a hug; it was as much for her own benefit, as it was for his. It pained her to see him like this, especially when she understood just how bad some travels could affect him at times. Some things they were required to do were not nice, nor were they consequence free. There were instances in her life she regretted, and trying to squash down her guilt through rationalisations never seemed to work. The problem was, _someone_ had to make the nasty decisions in life; more often than not, time travellers with life spans as long as theirs got lumped with the responsibility of making said choices.

The difference between River and the Doctor was a simple one, but probably the most significant factor that made it so much harder on him: River could walk away if she thought the decision was truly too hard, and the Doctor could not. He had to help if he were capable, regardless of the personal cost.

River shook her head at the absurdity of it all. Trailing a hand slowly down his back, she had to stop the question that threatened to come as she noticed small but frequent tears in the fabric covering his upper body. How had she now noticed them earlier, in the garden? Letting her finger trace the outline of one of the rips, before peeling it back and brushing her fingertip tentatively against the cool flesh underneath, River drew her lips into a thin line.

After a moment of tracing lazy circles on his skin, the body she held against her jerked closer suddenly, the action seemingly not of free will. River paused all movement. Eyebrows forming a light frown, she tilted her head a fraction and contemplated what would cause such a reaction. She brought her finger back to his back and let it move in a delicate motion along the exposed skin. Almost instantaneously, he moved again, shifting sideways and away from her hand. A tiny gasp of a laugh escaped his mouth as he did this.

He then moved entirely away from her, his expression a mix of irritation and, startlingly, a sort of bemused surprise as he stared at River's extended hand as though it had caused him some great offense. Staying perfectly still for a second, River's mind worked quickly. It didn't take her long to figure out what was wrong. A grin rose onto her dry lips.

"You're ticklish," she stated, the truth of the words producing a swell of devilish glee within her.

She didn't give any time for the information to sink in. With an evil smile lighting up her pretty face, River leant forwards and shot her hands out. Her fingers worked fast as they moved up and down his sides. Taking great delight in the yelp her movements caused him to make, soon her own body was shaking with chuckles as the sound of uncontrollable laughter reached her ears. It was a wonderful noise; one that she had missed.

Slapping his hands away playfully when they came up to try and stop the onslaught of tickles, River had to admit that this was quite the unconventional method of cheering him up. Though, when she thought about it, she knew that it was good ammunition; if she'd known the cute, young-looking form of his was ticklish, she'd have used it to her advantage years ago.

"Riv- Stop! Ple- Ah, River!"

Blatantly ignoring the calls that managed to slip in between his loud guffaws, River easily followed him step for step as he rapidly moved backwards. His legs were nearly giving way as he tried to grab her wrists to block the attack. Laughing, River raised her eyebrows in triumph as the Doctor's back hit the wall behind him. Unfortunately, despite his shock at the collision, he chose that time to become competent. Finally catching hold of her arms, he held them away from the vicinity of his torso.

Both of them were panting slightly, the cold in their bodies long gone. Snatching her arms down so they were released from his grip, River grinned. Figuratively speaking, he was trapped. Blocked to his right by another wall, and on his left by one of the cabinets, he was at her mercy. Narrowing her eyes a touch, River licked her lips and lifted one of her hands up. She moved it slowly, deliberately taking her time as she brought it closer to his stomach. Pleasure filled her when the action made him flinch. She stopped her hand when it was barely a centimetre away from making contact.

"River."

The name was _supposed_ to be a warning. River smirked. Moving her had closer until what little space was left between them vanished, she curled her fingers just a bit. She was the one with the power right now, and it was time he realised it. Watching him swallow back on whatever else he wanted to say, River allowed her smirk to soften into a warm smile.

"You need some sleep, dear."

Keeping her eyes locked with his, she applied the tiniest bit of pressure to the place where they were touching. She refused to acknowledge that tickling was not a threat he would certainly wish to avoid, considering it had actively cheered them both up.

"There aren't any beds upstairs, so you're sleeping on the sofa." Though her tone was friendly, she left no room for him to argue. He was going to do what she wanted, at least for tonight, whether he liked it or not. Lifting her chin when he remained silent, River moved her head forward slightly.

"Understand, sweetheart?" She was going to get a confirmation from him, even if she had to stay in this spot all night. She would not allow him to gain the upper hand, here. The sigh was expected, as was the soft glare. The expression wasn't made in anger. Annoyance was what coursed through him. The Doctor hated being told what to do; even total strangers could find this out within the first couple of minutes of meeting him. Bringing her face even closer, so she could feel his warm breath on her nose, River let out a small laugh.

"Say yes," she ordered, eyes twinkling with mirth, but words strong and demanding. Not quite able to pin point the emotion that flashed through his eyes, River waited. His eyes closed, and he his lips drew into a thin line as he brought his hands up and rested them on her shoulders. Opening his eyes once more, he lowered his head a tiny amount until their foreheads were touching. A smile made its way onto his mouth, but the emotion behind it was still unreadable.

"Yes."

 

****

**To Be Continued**

**-o-**


End file.
